Paul James made his return to the Rutgers backfield on
Saturday against Cincinnati, but he didn't have the impact the team had hoped.

It's not that James was ineffective – he had 19 carries for
78 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and had a long run of 23 yards that helped set
up Rutgers' first touchdown. The problem was that the Scarlet Knights (5-4, 2-3
American) had to mostly scrap the running game when the game got out of hand.

Cincinnati led 24-7 after the first quarter and the lead
only grew larger, ending in a 52-17 blowout. James carried 10 times in the first quarter, including six
straight plays on the touchdown drive, and then had only nine additional carries the
rest of the game.

"I thought last week he was on his way
to being able to (make an impact) and unfortunately the game got away from us
and we didn't have enough carries to give him," coach Kyle Flood said. "I was
pleased with where he was. I think there are some things he'll do better this
week now that he has played again."

Establishing James tonight on the road against
17th-ranked Central Florida (7:30 p.m., ESPN) seems like a much safer route to an
upset than putting the game in the hands of inconsistent quarterback Gary Nova. James likely will need to top his season-high of 22 carries for Rutgers to compete.

After missing four games with a lower
leg injury, James declared himself ready for a greater workload after the
Cincinnati game.

"I felt great," James said. "I felt like I could have more
(carries). I feel like I definitely could bring back what I was putting out in
September."

James said he didn't feel any rust in the Cincinnati game.
Considering he didn't suffer any setbacks, it stands to reason he'll be even
sharper tonight.

"I felt great going out there," James said. "I didn't even
think about it at all. I didn't even think about anything. I just thought about
hitting the holes and making my reads and running plays."

Flood said Justin Goodwin, who was a
solid fill-in during James' absence, and Savon Huggins will also see action in
the backfield. Huggins has found an increased role in the passing game and
Flood said he could play on the opening series, while Goodwin, who is dealing
with a hamstring injury, should get some time.

The versatility in the backfield is an
asset, but Flood made it clear that James is the No. 1 option.

"P.J. will start the game and Savon
will play and I think Goodwin will play," Flood said. "I think you are going to
see all three of them. But P.J. will start the game and he will get an
opportunity to see if he can really affect the game."

Ruhann Peele will start at one cornerback spot, which
completes a remarkable transformation for a player who was playing wide
receiver until three weeks ago. Anthony Cioffi was listed as the other starter
on the depth charter at the beginning of the week, but Flood said Gareef
Glashen or Nadir Barnwell could get the nod. Flood said all of the corners will
see action and be involved in the defense's sub packages.

Taj Alexander will start at right tackle and Andre Civil
will also get some snaps in the first half, as he did against Cincinnati.